Ferry Girl, Tell me a Fairy Tale
by Rosage
Summary: When Spirit World decides Botan no longer needs a physical body, she's granted one last day with it to say goodbye. Though masquerading as a human brought her new pains, she's unwilling to give up everything that came with it, including one incredible girl. Botan/Keiko


_A/N: Thank you to Aurumite for the beta._

"You don't need a human body anymore, do you?"

The quivers start in Botan's abdomen. She's been expecting the words for a while, but that's the thing about bodies—they react to instinct, not the careful schedule detailing her charges. As Yusuke's ferry girl, she knew that even before experiencing it herself.

"Why, Lord Koenma, of course I do!"

Koenma doesn't look up from the paperwork he's stamping, not that he's paying attention to that, either. He's in his toddler form, all pretenses lost now that he's returned to his own domain. "What for?"

"For…for keeping an eye on the Human World, and…"

"Why? We have no spirit detectives for you to babysit, and the other ferry girls don't need a body to guide spirits."

"Most of the other ferry girls don't know the meaning of the word 'spirit!'" Botan snaps. An ogre who's entered with a fresh stack of papers gives her a wide berth as he sets it silently on the desk and hurries out. Koenma gives the stack the same expression he gives spoiled seafood.

"If you hate your coworkers so much, I can always have you transferred."

Botan mirrors his expression. He doesn't mean to a better job, or to Human World, she knows that much.

"You know I didn't mean that. It's just—maybe it's time we revamped our policies. Ferry girls could be more empathetic to their charges if they see what life is like these days."

"There's a reason most ferry girls close off their emotions, Botan. You haven't forgotten Genkai, have you?"

Botan's next argument dies in her throat. This feeling, like a hairball is stuck no matter how much she swallows, is one of the few things she won't miss.

"Of course I haven't. I never will." The second time she ferried Genkai wasn't any easier than the first, even with plenty of warning. Part of her expected another rebirth, but Genkai was no phoenix, just an old woman at the end of finally fulfilled days.

The steady _thump_ of Koenma's stamp stops. He taps it against his temple before standing up, turning his back to her. The stamp wiggles in his clasped hands.

"Whatever you might think, I understand your feelings. I was down there, too. Do you think I liked coming back up here looking like a baby, stuck doing desk work?"

"No—I'm sure you didn't, but…"

"But I had to, so I did! It's my duty, Botan, and you have yours."

He's facing her again, wagging the stamp like a finger. A dozen times Koenma put off his duty spring to Botan's mind. Sure, he's fulfilled it when it counted, but he only seems to remember that when he needs the moral high ground. Still, even she knows when not to pick a fight with the ruler of Spirit World, and when she's about to ask a favor counts.

"Thank you for the reminder, Sir, but can I at least go down and say goodbye?"

"Well…I guess there's no harm in that. But make it quick. We're due for a series of drowning victims later, and you know how agitated those tend to be."

"Thank you, Sir!" It's more genuine this time, and Botan bows twice, her ponytail bobbing against her skin. Koenma softens his tone as if his toddler voice could sound fatherly.

"Remember, you'll see them all again soon enough. Don't make that meeting any harder on yourself than it has to be."

* * *

It's not Botan's style to gather everyone for a sad announcement, and it's too short notice for her to pull her friends from their responsibilities for a farewell party. She's no stranger to time crunches, though, so she figures a day is plenty of time to hit everyone up. Finally afforded a little free time now that she's in university, Keiko agrees immediately to a shopping trip when Botan shows up outside her window.

"Come along then, fair maiden," Botan says, extending a hand. Keiko raises an eyebrow at it.

"Is that your best Kuwabara impression or something? I can just go down through the door. Can my neighbors see you floating there?"

With a dramatic sigh Botan descends to the stoop. She admires Keiko's smarts too much to mind the short-lived fantasy. While she waits for Keiko to get ready, a breeze makes her sleeves sway. She was in such a rush she hadn't thought to change out of her pink kimono, nor did she consider that she'll lose any purchased clothes at the end of the day. She'll just have to pick out clothes for Keiko instead, not that she minds.

When the door opens, she flings herself at Keiko. Keiko's hair is pulled back, and she's grown almost to Botan's height, causing Botan's face to mash into the bare skin of Keiko's neck. It's warmer than she knew human skin could be when not slick with sweat post-battle. What else did meeting spirits not teach her about humans? Certainly not the fact that one could be so _clean_. Keiko only smells of faintly minty shampoo.

"Um, Botan? Is everything all right?"

Startled, Botan realizes her hands are clinging to the back of Keiko's sweater. Reluctantly she pries them away and grins. "Never been better!"

Keiko looks at her suspiciously as they walk down the sidewalk and make shopping plans. Botan can't blame her. Whenever she's shown up out of the blue or tried to cover up weird behavior with a smile, it usually meant someone just died or was in danger. In a way, she's going to die by the day's end, but she hadn't thought about it like that. She'll just be returning from a long, horrible, wonderful vacation.

The breeze is cool against her neck. Flying with a human body is like nothing else, but even walking is nice during the rare times she doesn't have to rush about. From the air she can't see every local mascot on signs and window displays, or smell soy, fish, and eggs being prepared by street vendors—though she also can't get cat called, or see the people sitting in the alleys. Before she can get too wistful she turns to Keiko, asking about university. As Keiko's still in a bad mood from the cat calling, her talk of her studies leads to ranting about her meanest professor.

"Sorry—I know it's not polite to complain about a teacher like that. I wouldn't have said any of that to my classmates."

"I'm not your classmate, and after what I saw of your middle school, I can't blame you."

"When _you_ saw my middle school, my teachers had turned into zombies."

Botan laughs while Keiko shudders. "It's a jolly good memory in hindsight, isn't it?" Botan asks.

"We need to talk about your definition of 'jolly,'" Keiko says, but she smiles. "I guess it turned out all right, though. Even if I didn't know what really happened until later." Her tone makes it clear she's thinking of Botan's 'explanation.' Botan pokes her fingers together.

"I would have told you, but—Spirit World policy."

"Yeah, sure. We made a good team, anyway."

"We made a _great_ team, thanks to your quick thinking. You're going to be a wonderful teacher. Just don't get bitten by demon insects."

Inside the store, the smell of exhaust is replaced by a lavender perfume sample. On Botan's urging Keiko gets it dabbed behind her ears, making Botan want to bury her face back into her neck. She's spent enough time pretending to be human to know that sniffing each other is more of a dog thing, so she accepts the same sample instead. Still thinking of Keiko's soft sweater, she sets to finding others that would match Keiko's high-waisted jeans. She gets sidetracked by a vest Shizuru would love and a cardigan that Keiko agrees Yukina should wear.

"We'll have to come back with them another day," Keiko says. Botan seconds the idea before yelping at the realization that that's not going to be possible. At Keiko's questioning look, Botan explains with an awkward laugh that she's not sure the world can handle that much style in one group. She busies herself finding more clothes for Keiko to try on.

She should tell Keiko—that's what she came down here for, wasn't it? Her friends would worry if she disappeared without a word.

 _There's no need for her to worry while we're shopping_ , Botan thinks as she passes Keiko a blouse. "You're going to get me in trouble if you keep handing me things I like," Keiko says. "I was just going to window shop."

"I can't help it. I've been following fashion trends for years, you know." Seeing what humans were wearing when they died is one of her favorite things about her job. Since she was granted a body, she's spent hours in stores trying things on. Nobody warned her about scratchy tags and materials, but posing in the mirror while wearing every color of the rainbow is worth it. Many of the items she bought; blending in with humans fell under 'on-the-job expenses,' after all.

"So, does that mean I should trust your taste, or…?"

"Why, I never," Botan says, putting her hands on her hips in mock indignation. "Whether it's gadgets or clothes, I'm always on the cutting edge."

"I'm just teasing. You always look great. You could probably be a model, if you didn't have more important work."

Botan's smile stretches so wide it strains her mouth. _Smiles can hurt_ was another recent lesson. "You flatter me, but you're my model today." She eyes a long gown, her smile curling while she paws at the air. "While we're out, we could start looking at wedding dresses." Keiko turns away to put the blouse back.

"There's not going to be a wedding."

"Oh, don't say that. He's back for good this time, I'm sure of it, and he's been coming around—"

"He's been _coming around_ my whole life, Botan." Keiko shuffles through the coat hangers without stopping to look at any of the tops. "When does my saying 'enough' get to mean 'enough?'"

It's a fair point, but Botan droops at the memory of a girl shouting _I'm done waiting_ at a sunset. Though she's had feelings for Keiko for a while, she never once considered that Keiko might not marry Yusuke, and she never once minded. The only experience ferry girls have with romance is pulling ghosts away from their loved ones. Watching her friends' relationships develop was Botan's chance to see something bloom rather than pluck it away.

She doesn't want to pull the mood down further by saying any of this, and Keiko has to guess at the problem. "He and I are always going to be important to each other, okay? Like, when we're seventy he'll come around and pretend to ask me to marry him, and I'll poke him with my cane. That's just how we are. Maybe it's weird, but I don't know how to explain it better."

"That's hardly the weirdest thing about Yusuke, honey. It's just…" Botan gives in to pouting. "You were supposed to live in a castle and have beautiful half-human royal babies and teach them to punch bullies."

Keiko laughs, but her smile is too flat for someone who's lived a fraction of a human life. "Fairy tales aren't real, Botan. Weirdly enough, it took me meeting monsters to realize that."

There's a lump in Botan's chest, like one of those throat-hairballs pushed its way down and hardened. Keiko is beautiful and driven and _young,_ and it's just not right that she can't dream. For the first time Botan actually considers flying Keiko off to that castle herself. She works in a palace in the clouds, after all! It might be full of politics and damnation, not cotton candy birds, but a human wouldn't need to know that.

"Speaking of Yusuke, have you been to his ramen stand yet?" Keiko asks, startling Botan out of her fantasy.

"No, I haven't—Ah! I haven't! And here I almost missed the chance to taste his cooking."

Keiko gives her a strange look. "He doesn't exactly have a lot of job prospects, so I'm sure you'd get another chance."

Botan resists clapping a hand over her mouth. "Right," she says, her sleeve flapping. "Of course."

* * *

Botan wasn't expecting much, but the slippery noodles in rich pork broth make her smack her lips. "I don't believe it—it's actually good!"

"Gee, thanks."

"Sorry, Yusuke, but I've only seen those hands punch infamous demons. I didn't know they could do domestic things."

Yusuke waves said hands around, gesturing vaguely to his stand. "This ain't a house, is it? Besides, if I let my mom be in charge of cooking, booze would be the only thing on the menu."

Making sure to slurp, Botan continues eating. She stops to push bits of scallion aside. "It's too bad Keiko gave up this food, at least," she says. Yusuke's strange look mirrors the one Keiko gave her.

"She can come eat here anytime."

"I know, but…" Botan picks the bowl back up to her face. She forgot to ask Keiko if their talk was meant to be secret, not that that ever makes a difference with Botan. Yusuke turns back to his pot.

"We talked it over, if you're worried you just blabbed again."

"Oh, that's a relief. I mean, not that it's a relief that—"

"I'm fine, Botan."

Botan squints at him over the bowl's rim. "'Fine' as in actually fine, or 'fine' as in 'a demon just punched me in the gut but I have to play tough guy?'"

"'Fine' as in, the girl most important to me put her foot down, and there's nothing I can do to change that, and my ramen is salty enough without me crying into it. At least she doesn't hate me."

"Oh, Yusuke."

"Look, I'm here to cook noodles, not star in Spirit World's next sitcom."

"Excuse me for worrying about you."

"You're excused," he says. She rolls her eyes.

But she's worried enough not to tell him that she's leaving him, too, and she won't even come around for ramen.

* * *

The Kuwabara residence is both the most chaotic and most comforting home Botan knows. Kazuma is fixing a wall Shizuru dented when Botan enters, sitting on the couch at Shizuru's hand-wave of an invitation. While the siblings argue, Yukina steps around Eikichi, who's weaving frenetically through everyone's legs. Botan accepts the pastry and cup of bright green sencha tea Yukina offers her and inhales deeply. Everything else stops at the grassy-sweet smell, the warm cup between her hands, Yukina's smile when Botan compliments her snowflake-shaped barrette. As a house gift Botan brought a similarly patterned scarf that she and Keiko picked out for Yukina, who says _you shouldn't have_ and offers it to Shizuru a few times before finally wrapping it around her neck.

Maybe enough cups will slow things down to an ice maiden's pace, make the days last for years. Botan dumps sugar in her tea despite Shizuru's disapproval and meows earnestly back and forth with Eikichi.

"Can ya really talk to her?" Kuwabara asks.

"Yep. She says, 'Botan is the most beautiful, talented ferry girl in the whole world, and Kuwabara should massage her feet.'" Kuwabara's mutters sound disappointed as he returns to his repairs.

Now that she's in the home of two sensitive psychics and the world's most empathetic demon, it doesn't take long for Botan's sighs, vague statements, and awkward laughter to earn suspicion in stereo. She almost buckles under the keen sets of eyes gazing down at her, but she doesn't know where to start. Shizuru gives up first, walking toward the door.

"I need a smoke," she says.

"C'mon, Sis, you came in from one before Botan got here."

"Did I stutter?" She passes a meaningful look at Botan, whose mouth forms an _oh_.

"Um, yes. Smoking. Good idea." She hops up and follows Shizuru out.

The hottest part of the day has passed, and their side of the house blocks the sun. Botan brings her sleeves together. As she didn't buy herself new clothes, the uniform reminds her of her job. Maybe that's why she stopped wearing it for a while. She rests her head against the wall, still surprised at how solid it feels; she walked into her fair share of them at first.

Even if it was a ploy, Shizuru does light a cigarette. Botan wrinkles her nose. This is another sensory experience she won't miss.

"So what's the matter?" Shizuru asks.

The whole story spills out—not just Koenma's order, but Keiko and Yusuke and fairy tales, too. Botan's barely aware of the smoke Shizuru blows away from her until she's finished, hiding half of her face with a sleeve under guise of covering her nose. Really she's embarrassed that she blabbed again, but what difference does that make now?

She peeks over the fabric at Shizuru's face, because of course it makes a difference—Shizuru is her friend, even if they're going to live in different worlds. As usual, Shizuru is stoic. By now Botan knows enough to be relieved by that.

"Damn," Shizuru says. She holds out the box of cigarettes. "Want one?"

"No thank you."

"It's not like you have to worry about ruining your lungs." But Shizuru puts them away with a shrug.

Having said too much already, Botan listens to the beat of a _Megallica_ song from inside. It's loud enough that her feet vibrate if she steps on just the right spot, probably as a favor from Kuwabara so that he and Yukina can't accidentally eavesdrop. She wonders if his empathic powers picked up anything from her.

 _Probably too busy asking Yukina to dance or something,_ she thinks with a faint smile.

"Years ago I had Kazuma transfer schools," Shizuru says. Her cigarette is lowered, her eyes lifted toward the top of the neighbor's roof where birds perch in an unnatural line. "His elementary school didn't know what to do with a little boy who talked more about ghosts and cats than he did about other humans. Not that his middle school did, either, but I figured out I couldn't actually protect him from that. Then he gained psychic celebrity status in high school and got into university."

Knowing Shizuru's not the type to go on memory lane for no reason, Botan waits while Shizuru takes a drag. "Yusuke got to leave Keiko for years to figure his demon shit out," Shizuru continues. "Certain other demons we know have traveled between the worlds, too. The point is, if you want your own chance to find a balance, then take it." She turns a twitching smile on Botan. "Sorry, it's just, with Genkai gone it feels like _somebody_ should give preachy lectures."

Botan wipes a tear from her eye. "Isn't that just the truth? Thank you for rising to the occasion, Master Shizuru."

"Hey, when you raise your little brother you learn how to bullshit your way through life lessons." Shizuru crushes the cigarette under her toe. "By the way, not that I should be talking about fairytale romance, but whatever she says, Keiko could use some love right now. Maybe even some magic."

"I know. She deserves all of it," Botan says. "But half a day isn't enough time for me to round up a new dashing hero for her. Oh, Yusuke, why couldn't you have come through?"

The look Shizuru gives her doesn't hide its amusement, along with something Botan can't quite recognize. "This isn't the time to play airhead. You already told me how you feel about her."

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"God, you're serious." The amusement dies, making room for the hidden expression: exasperation. "Look, just go see her again before you leave, okay? And actually talk to her this time. That ride up the River Styx is going to be awkward if you've let decades pass without closure."

* * *

At Shizuru's urging, Botan tells Yukina and Kuwabara about her deal with Koenma, leaving out everything else. _Not that they need to know_ that, _but they both kind of have issues with people keeping secrets from them_ , Shizuru pointed out. Botan holds Yukina gently through their sniffles, surprised to find Yukina's nails hooked like claws into her kimono when she pulls back.

"It won't make much difference to me," Kuwabara says.

"Claim that _before_ handing me your snotty handkerchief."

"Shut up, Sis. I just mean my spiritual awareness is strong enough that I should be able to see Botan even after she's a ghost-y guide thing again." He looks uncertainly around the room. "That's true of all of us, right?"

"Keiko isn't very spiritually aware," Botan says with a swallow. "She just has a connection to Yusuke and Puu and everyone. Besides, it's not like I'm going to be able to come party poltergeist-style anytime I want. I have to go back to—"

"No." Yukina's voice is loud enough that it could have cut through the music Kuwabara turned off. "You can't just leave. Not without planning to come back." Realizing they're all taken aback by her forceful tone, she turns away from them. Shizuru lays an arm around her shoulders and speaks to her quietly.

Botan wants to linger, but she hasn't even talked to Kurama, and she has to retrace her steps first. As usual, Shizuru is right, even if Botan can barely think about what it means.

* * *

Botan doesn't go directly to Keiko's. She means to, but one shortcut later she's not sure which river she's flying over. All she knows is it's not the River Styx, which means it's never been her job to know. Now she wonders if her friends grew up near this river, if they ever fell into it as kids, if they liked to walk by it on their way home.

A brown dot against the grassy slope takes shape. The green sweater she picked out makes Keiko dissolve against the grass until Botan descends, spotting Keiko's chin resting on her knees. Like demons, Botan has no human heart, but something near her stomach tightens. Keiko should never be such a drab splotch against an otherwise empty backdrop.

As if she hadn't sensed the mood, Botan waves and calls out. "Fancy seeing you twice in one day!" Keiko looks up, eyes wide. She doesn't return Botan's smile.

"Botan? What are you doing here?"

After landing, Botan makes her oar disappear and crouches. "I was coming to pay you a visit, actually. But I took a little detour, and, well, here you are!"

"So, you got lost again…"

"I wouldn't say _lost_ —"

"And ended up finding what you were looking for?" Keiko smiles now, shaking her head. "Only you, Botan."

"Heh heh…I'm handy that way."

Keiko doesn't disagree. She looks toward the water, a frown tugging her mouth. "Anyway, I'm glad you're here. You always pull me out of my stupid thoughts."

"I'm glad to hear it, but what's wrong? I wouldn't think you'd have a stupid thought in your head."

"I get them a lot, actually. I didn't mean to stop by this river either, but…we were walking along this riverbank when Yusuke first told me he was going to Demon World."

The grass is scratchy against Botan's ankles. She shifts onto her bottom so she can stretch her legs out. "Oh, Keiko."

Keiko tugs at a handful of grass, tearing a few of the blades. She stares at them before blowing them out over the water. Pink watercolor paints a swatch of sky as it did that day on the beach.

"Don't get me wrong—I already let go. It's just, where am I going to find someone who sticks by me if the guy I've known my whole life won't?"

Whatever tightened Botan's stomach clenches and flips over. _Sorry, Shizuru, but how can I tell her I'm leaving after that_?

"Sorry. Maybe I'm just being selfish," Keiko says, wiping Botan's own situation from her mind.

"No, of course you aren't! There isn't a selfish bone in your body, Keiko, and if there is then all the more power to it. You deserve to have kisses on the beach, or be treated to coffee, or heck, have someone to curse the world with you if that's what you want. Goodness knows I'd do it myself if I wasn't…"

Botan claps a hand over her mouth. She almost admitted she won't even resemble a human after today.

"I know," Keiko says. "If you weren't a girl, right?"

Botan blinks several times before remembering common human standards. "Well, no, I wasn't thinking about that."

"Oh." Keiko's cheeks redden. "Sorry, I—I didn't mean to put my mind in the gutter. I know you were just being nice."

"Your mind's not in the gutter, and I'm not just being nice. You know I don't think long enough before I speak to lie."

From behind the hand she's hiding her face with, a corner of Keiko's smile pokes out. "I'd believe that if you hadn't lied to me before. _I work at a regular detective agency_ ring any bells?"

"Okay, besides _that_."

The smile disappears again. "I know you weren't thinking it through, but among other things you kind of said you'd kiss me on the beach."

"Oh, wouldn't that be the day," Botan says with a sigh. Keiko's hand drops, revealing that the color in her cheeks has deepened.

"You…you meant it?"

"I just said I did, didn't I?"

"But if you don't care that I'm a girl—"

"I dare say I don't, unless I'm appreciating it."

Keiko's hand twirls in her hair, winding and unwinding it. "Then what's the…problem, or whatever you were going to say?"

It's the perfect chance to come clean, but Botan is more concerned with Keiko's lidded eyes. "Do _you_ think there's a problem?"

"Maybe I should, but…"

The hair goes back behind Keiko's ear, and Botan catches a whiff of the perfume from the store, and any part of her that's still thinking stops. She reaches out to cup Keiko's cheek, surprised at how hot it is against her palm. "Then neither do I."

It's not a beach exactly, as Botan points out against Keiko's mouth, but by that point Keiko's back is against the grass and Botan doubts she cares that it's not sand. Hands fisted in the back of Botan's kimono prevent her from lifting when Keiko shivers under her. Though not to an ice demon's extent, Botan's body has always been colder than a human's. Her fingers touch that burning face as if she can absorb the heat, share it until they're both pleasantly warm. Her lips brush Keiko's pulse, racing and _alive_ , and Keiko shivers again at the press of fangs—like some paranormal romance novel, Botan thinks, only she's not a monster trying to take a maiden's life away.

Is she?

She lifts herself up enough to see Keiko's head, flushed and mussed against the grass. Somehow, all she can think while Keiko opens dark eyes is _oops._

"Is something wrong?" Keiko asks. Botan kisses a slice of forehead between her bangs.

"No, but this kimono wasn't really made for this position. You'd think flying would make a girl used to dizziness, goodness…" She rolls off Keiko as she mumbles, rubbing her own cheek. It's almost as warm as Keiko's, and she wonders if her fingers felt this icy to Keiko, too.

"What's with me and kissing near water?" Keiko asks with a groan.

"Maybe your ancestor was secretly a water demon."

"Please, no more of those secret ancestors."

Botan chuckles. "I've been there for all of your important kisses, when you think about it."

"That's true. This was my first kiss with a girl, though." Keiko's voice is a little shy, not at all what Botan expects from her. "Though I guess I've only kissed one boy, too." She groans again, closing her eyes.

"Are you all right?" Botan asks. She'd wanted Keiko's kiss to be at least fun, if not magical, but Keiko looks halfway undone. Botan elbowing her stomach on the way down probably didn't help.

"Yeah. It's just…first Yusuke turns out to be a demon prince, then I kiss the Grim Reaper. Am I going to wake up yet?"

Botan rolls onto her side, propping onto an elbow with a grin. "Sorry, your Highness, but this fairytale isn't ending." As if to prove it she swoops down for another kiss.

* * *

Botan's back is against the hill when she feels it rumbling. She's been appreciating the soft fabric over Keiko's shoulder blades, to say nothing of the fact that Keiko wasn't satisfied with laying back for long. The way Keiko's leg shifts when Botan stops makes her decide the rumbling is just another type of stomach butterflies, a you-rock-my-world reaction, and she's ready to ignore it.

But Keiko sits up, quickly shuffling aside when she realizes she's straddling Botan. "You felt that, too?" Botan asks.

"Felt what?" Keiko is breathless, probably the actual reason she stopped. Botan can't blame her; she has newfound sympathy for every creature with lungs, though for her there's a thrill to pumping them until she can't forget they're there.

"Never mind. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know." Keiko's wearing an unusually goofy grin, as if Botan's mouth literally rubbed off on hers. "This is just all so…fast."

 _It has to be. I don't have any more time._ She thought she forgot in all the excitement, but her stomach is collecting itself into a tight ball. "We've always been a pair of go-getters."

"Together, I guess. I feel like I've spent a lot of time alone sighing out the window. It seems silly now." Keiko crosses her arms. "Though, I still feel pretty silly. Don't think I'm always going to do this without at least being treated to dinner and walked home. And you haven't even met my parents…"

"I've always seen you as a respectable girl," Botan assures her. As she reaches up to pick grass from Keiko's hair, the hill tremors again, this time enough to shake Botan's wrist.

"What's wrong?"

"You don't feel that? It's like the ground is shaking." Botan is sure now that she wasn't imagining it, but she realizes it's not so much an earthquake as it is energy humming underneath the ground's surface. The river below seems to bend and flap like a ribbon in the breeze while Botan stands. Rising too, Keiko holds her steady before she can tumble down into the water. Botan's sandal nonetheless slips, sending both of them sliding down to the water's edge.

Whatever it is, it's only Botan's spiritual core that it's affecting. Keiko doesn't seem to notice the creature in the water or the webbed claw that reaches for her leg.

With a scream Keiko kicks hard at the creature, sending it flying into the water with a splash. Botan hops onto her oar, almost knocked off by Keiko, who clings onto her. Botan rights herself and hooks an arm around Keiko while she rises above the water, above the hill. She pictures a serpent crashing up from the water, gnashing giant teeth on her tail, but there's no further splashing.

Still Botan flies toward the Kuwabaras' without looking back. She's not a fighter, she's a guide, and usually those she ferries are past safety, but there's no reason Keiko should be yet.

* * *

After the excitement has passed, the group reconvenes at the Kuwabaras' house. Inside, Yukina treats Keiko, who only has a scratched leg and pale complexion. Botan wanted to heal her herself, but she has to admit that all Keiko needs is to relax, and the girl who kissed her abruptly can't compare to Yukina's bedside manner. Wistfully Botan thinks about how romantic a midair kiss would have been. In the moment, there's hardly time. The fact that she kissed Keiko at all is still sinking in.

Outside, the Kuwabaras have been joined by Kurama, who investigated the river as well. "It was only a kappa," he says. "Not a strong foe, but they're a tricky lot if you don't know what to expect."

"My idiot brother was going to wrestle it," Shizuru says. "Yukina saved him by bowing to it and refilling its water dish. She says it's her new friend."

"I could've taken that thing easily, and then it wouldn't be trying to live in our house. Eikichi hates it," Kuwabara complains.

The birds lined up over the neighbor's house chirp in agreement. Above them, what was a pink stripe has overtaken the sky. Even talk of kappa can't distract Botan from her real day's mission anymore. Such a simple one, but she still hasn't told Keiko, only messed with her heart…and she'll have to watch the fallout from a distance.

She wonders if Koenma will grant her a little more time. _Of course not._ He told her to be back as soon as possible, because…

"That's right!" she bursts. "Koenma said there would be drowning victims today. I thought a boat was just going to capsize or something."

"So you think he was keeping an eye on the kappa?" Kurama asks. "There may be many of them around, then. I'll check the nearby bridges."

"I'll go with you," Botan says.

"Hold on, Botan." Shizuru takes her arm, clearly meaning to drag her around back and ask her what happened. Botan shakes loose and waves her hand.

"I'll be back to pick up Keiko later," she calls back as she runs after Kurama.

* * *

By the time they've hit up the city's major bridges, Kurama has tricked a slew of kappa into serving him and sent them to check the rest of the city's waterways. "Have I mentioned I'm glad you're on our side?" Botan asks, stepping out of the way of a patch of leaves wriggling next to her feet. At a lift of Kurama's finger they settle down into cracks in the asphalt.

"Weeds. Such unruly hooligans," he says with a twinkle in his eye. "The kappa shouldn't give anyone trouble. The humans in the area are lucky you spotted one in time."

"I just can't believe Lord Koenma didn't give proper warning. If he knew there'd be victims of non-human beings, why didn't he plan to do something?"

"Spirit World's relationships with the other worlds are precarious. If he still had a spirit detective to do his dirty work, perhaps he would have ordered that, but Spirit World can usually only afford to step in when something could cause wider-spread disaster."

"So the lives of individual humans are acceptable losses?"

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you that most of Spirit World is only interested in the dead."

Botan bites her lip. She knows the _most_ was intentional. If she's honest, she volunteered to help so that she'd get a chance to ask his advice, so after a bit of nudging she explains her problem, leaving out hillside kisses and lavender perfume. As she speaks he leads them through a park where there are no humans to overhear, and when she's done he leans against a tree trunk.

"Is it allowed for Spirit World employees to live in the Human World?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful, but Lord Koenma would never have needed to employ Spirit Detectives if it was."

"That's what I thought." He tucks a thumb under his chin. "Hypothetically, if you were given the chance to be human, would you?"

"I'd…" For once, Botan's acclaimed motor mouth jams. Having a body is one thing, but growing old? Dying? Having no ties to spirits, no power, no job she's authorized to do?

If she lived here, if she aged, she could stay with Keiko. But that's one hell of a commitment for something so hypothetical—she hasn't even brought it up yet. Besides, if she didn't have the use of her oar, Keiko might have drowned. It all makes her head spin.

"Well, you didn't have to give everything up," she says instead of answering.

"Indeed." As if to demonstrate, one of the tree's branches bends down to tickle his shoulder. "I'll never be completely human. Still, I gave up much."

"Do you regret it?"

"My sort of life lends itself to regrets." Eyes closed, Kurama reaches to stroke the branch like a pet. "But staying in this world? No, I don't."

"Is it just because of your mother? I mean, not that being a dutiful son isn't—"

"I understand. For someone in my circumstances, changing so much for one person must seem extreme. But sometimes, one is enough."

They talk more about the worlds and what she might say to Koenma, but it's those words that stay with her when she returns to the Kuwabaras', stars and streetlamps guiding her path and telling her that her time is up.

* * *

Botan gives herself a pep talk before entering, quietly slipping off her shoes. Keiko is upright on the couch, telling Yukina stories about human university. Spying Botan, Shizuru ushers Kazuma upstairs with an order to study. More gently she leads Yukina away, saying she's sure Botan and Keiko have to catch up after their interrupted afternoon, at which point she casts Botan a meaningful glance. Yukina still looks betrayed by Botan's earlier announcement, and even a glimpse of her icy face undoes Botan's pep talk.

Despite her nerves Botan flops down on the couch, exhaling. She's just realized she's exhausted. In the past she wondered how humans could stand to sleep every night when there were so many exciting things to be done, but now it's more of a wonder that they can stay up to cram for exams.

"Are all of those things gone?" Keiko asks.

Out of the corner of her eye Botan sees the kappa Yukina captured slip into the kitchen. "Don't worry, Kurama has everything under control."

"Good. I already told Yusuke as much over the phone so he wouldn't freak out." A cream-colored shawl is draped around Keiko's neck. Her complexion is better, and she's seen worse than a kappa, so Botan assumes it's only because nobody could turn down an offering from Yukina.

"Um, sorry about before," Keiko says while Botan's still thinking of a light-hearted way to bring it up. "You must think I'm such a stupid pig, throwing myself at the second person to like me."

"Oh, phooey, I never thought anything of the sort. You were charming, really. And what does 'second' mean? I know for a fact you had a following through school."

"Yeah, but a following doesn't count. They never really knew me. They just saw the responsible and put-together student council president." Keiko draws her knees to her chest, tucking them under the shawl. "It's weird. I never got used to all the ghost and monster fighting business, but now when I talk to regular humans it feels like there's this wall. I've met plenty of nice people, but… Look at me, I'm just going on about myself."

"I want to hear all of it, dear." Botan wraps an arm around Keiko, hoping it's comforting rather than a badly timed come-on. The shawl feels even softer than her sweaters. "I promise _weird_ isn't even in my vocabulary."

"Thanks, but I want to hear about you, too. I feel like I'm always the one people are looking out for."

"What do you mean 'always?' You never asked for help in school, and you pulled your classmates' weight, too."

"I meant in our group—wait, why do you know so much about my schooling?"

At Keiko's suspicious look, Botan laughs awkwardly. At this point, she's going to confess everything except the one thing she flew down to say. "I might have checked on you now and then. Not like some peeping tom—just, you know, to see how you were doing. It's, uh, routine."

The shawl sets off the color in Keiko's face. "You could have just asked."

"You would have said 'fine.' Besides, it's not like I'll always be able to drop in and chat. After today, I won't even have another way to see you."

Keiko's alarmed look makes Botan realize what she said. "After today? What does that mean?"

 _Well, shoot_.

"I meant to tell you before." At those words, the warmth retreats from Keiko's eyes. _Double shoot_. "Ferry girls aren't supposed to have physical bodies. I only borrowed mine because I was helping Yusuke with his Spirit Detective work. And he got fired a while ago, so…"

"So…?"

"Lord Koenma finally asked me to give it back. I…came down to say goodbye."

Botan flinches, waiting for a slap or a tearful outburst. Putting off this moment must have made it all the more of a kick in the face. But Keiko only shrugs away from Botan's arm, her face flat from practice. "Oh. Goodbye, then."

It's a thousand times worse than the sting from a slap, like sludge is rolling cold and heavy through her. "No, Keiko, this isn't—"

"Don't bother. I've heard every excuse before. I like you too much for that, so just… Don't."

The silly part of her echoes _she likes me_. The even sillier part considers chirping _I'll see you when you die!_ The rest swallows five excuses. Keiko's turned away from her, and they're quiet enough to hear the kappa and Eikichi scrabbling in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry. You're always left behind and out of the loop. I should have told you first thing."

"No kidding." Keiko's shoulders sag, and she looks over one at Botan. "You're…really leaving? Won't you miss all of your friends?"

Her worried tone pulls Botan out of panic mode, and she forces herself to brighten. "Chin up. I haven't give up hope. I just had a little strategy meeting with Kurama. How could anyone lose out with a master tactician on her side?"

"Wait, so you have a plan?"

"Of course I do, it's foolproof. All I have to do is talk to Lord Koenma."

"Is…that actually foolproof?"

"Like I said, I have a diplomatic genius's script in here," Botan says, tapping her forehead. She's less confident than she's acting—who knows if Koenma will listen?—but she has more motivation to succeed than ever. "You can tell Yukina to expect me bright and early."

"I will." Keiko shifts her knees against each other and fiddles with the fringe of her shawl, which has slipped off one shoulder. "So…what happens after that?"

"After what?"

"You know, after you come back."

"Oh…"

"This is where Yusuke would pretend to ask me to marry him, by the way."

" _Oh_." Botan tugs at her bang. She prefers to plan one step at a time, if even that, and a few hours ago she wouldn't have thought her feelings could be anything but fantasy. But now that she's started this, she won't leave Keiko high and dry. "After I come back, I'll ask you to dinner and walk you home. If you'd do me the honor, of course."

Keiko's smile isn't sunshine-bright. It's slow and soft, and it warms Botan from the inside out. "I'll hold you to that."

The warmth builds until it's at a delirious cusp of too much. Before it turns to heat, a thought intrudes, making Botan smack her forehead with a sticky hand. "I never told Yusuke about my deal with Lord Koenma! Or kissing his ex…pretend wife…friend."

"He'd probably ask pervy questions," Keiko says. "Let him be in the dark about something, for once."

* * *

The screen in Koenma's office flips through clips of Kurama's kappa army waddling through the city's streams. "Not a single victim," Koenma says, rubbing his chin. His hand leaves ink smears. "As expected of Kurama."

"I alerted everyone," Botan points out. She's standing to the side with her hands folded in front of her, the picture of the humble servant, but she can't resist mentioning it. "And Yukina recruited the first one."

"Yes, yes. Well? Have you said your goodbyes?"

"No, I haven't."

"I thought we agreed—"

"Lord Koenma, Sir, if I may speak—you asked me to be back in time to ferry the drowning victims. But since I went down there, there _weren't_ any drowning victims. Therefore, my deadline has extended indefinitely."

Unable to withhold a grin at the loophole, Botan claps and waits for Koenma's response. His raised brow doesn't look as impressed as she'd like. "Very clever, Botan, but our agreement didn't have anything to do with the kappa. In fact, the other ferry girls had quite the time fixing their schedules."

"To hell with their schedules," Botan bursts. "People's lives were at risk. _Keiko's_ life was at risk." Belated, horrified realization pushes her script from her mind. "Did you know Keiko could die? Why didn't you say something? Why didn't you _do_ something?"

"We're trying to stabilize three worlds here—we can't go basing our decisions on whether or not it involves someone we know. Besides, she wasn't slated to die today. Believe me, you would have known if she was."

Relief and Koenma's sober tone make Botan slump. "She wasn't?"

"I do know you better than that."

"I'm sorry for doubting you, Sir. Don't you think this is a good reason for me to keep my body, though? I couldn't have flown her off with hers otherwise."

"That's true, but…"

"Imagine the PR scandal if the kappa problem had worsened. Haven't we had enough of those lately? To say nothing of what Yusuke would do."

"I'm more worried about Yusuke in this case," Koenma says with a shudder, "but point taken. Still, Botan—you say 'we.' Are you really committed to belonging to Spirit World?"

The ink smear on Koenma's baby face ruins the effect when he peers at her from over his hands, but her mouth feels dry anyway.

"I am," she says. "I like my job. I don't even know how to do anything else. I don't truly know how to _live_ anywhere else. But is there a need for someone to reside in only one world? How many people do we know who couldn't, even if they tried?"

"Is Kurama feeding you these lines?"

"Oh, give me a little credit…some of them. Should I have dropped 'reside?'"

"Probably. It doesn't do me much good to know what Kurama thinks, though, if it's not what you're going to act upon. How do you feel about this?"

Botan had begun shaking a finger through her speech. Now she drops it along with her chin. "There are people I love down there. I can't bear the thought of saying goodbye to them."

"You're going to have to, eventually."

"I know, but I'm a ferry girl. That time will come whether I get to talk to and touch them in the meantime or not."

For a long moment, Koenma studies her before picking up a document on his desk. "If you're sure that this is what you want, I suppose it doesn't cost us much to let you keep that body, as long as you're doing your job and not causing trouble down there."

Botan beams. She remembers herself just in time to not throw herself over the desk to hug him. "I don't know the meaning of the word, Sir."

"That, I don't believe, but…" Koenma rips the document in half and tosses it aside. One half flutters unceremoniously to the ground. "We'll deal with it as it comes."

He shoos her out just as Jorge enters with a stack of papers. While Jorge rubs the ink from Koenma's face with a cloth, Botan slips away, unsure if she imagines Koenma's murmured _as I thought_.

Feeling giddiness bubble up, she cheers on her way out the castle. She hasn't really solved anything. Keiko doesn't need magic, she needs someone who can stand by her, and Botan isn't sure how she's going to balance that with her work. But Botan's never been one to plan far ahead, and her next step is to take an amazing girl out for dinner.

Wind rushes past her as she flies through the clouds, their moisture cold on her skin. She closes her eyes and revels in the sting.


End file.
